


love in shades of blue

by EirikaofRenais



Series: welcome to fhirdiad, it's been waitin' for you [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Childhood Friends, Dimitri is helpless and madly in love with Byleth, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Crack, Jealousy, Multi, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-17 23:55:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29600694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EirikaofRenais/pseuds/EirikaofRenais
Summary: "A party?" Ingrid asks. She's sitting at the table, next to Felix, eating chinese food and looking as surprised as Felix looks annoyed "Why would we have a party?""Well, you know... We're alive, we're young and everything goes well in our lifes" Sylvain is sitting in the couch, his chinese food container already empty at his side. Dorothea is beside him, her phone between her hands "And it's been a long time since we had a party here, anyway""Yes, since Felix birthday. But none of our birthdays are close" says Ingrid again, looking confused, as if it's impossible for her to imagine that someone would throw a party for something other than celebrating a birthday.Felix snorts and rolls his eyes. Dorothea looks at Sylvain from under her long lashes."He wants to lure the new neighbor in so he can ask for her number" says Felix, and Sylvain throws him a dirty look before shrugging and putting his hands behind his head.A direct follow up tothe one with the new neighbor.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/My Unit | Byleth, Dorothea Arnault/Ingrid Brandl Galatea, Felix Hugo Fraldarius/Sylvain Jose Gautier, Mercedes von Martritz/Dedue Molinaro
Series: welcome to fhirdiad, it's been waitin' for you [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2166345
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	love in shades of blue

**Author's Note:**

> This is me trying to make a nice fluffy Dimileth story with all the Blue Lions running around and making it chaotic, because it can't be any other way. 
> 
> A modern retelling of the romance between Dimitri and Byleth, but now they have phones instead of swords. Felix is disappointed.

"A party?" Ingrid asks. She's sitting at the table, next to Felix, eating chinese food and looking as surprised as Felix looks annoyed "Why would we have a party?"

"Well, you know... We're alive, we're young and everything goes well in our lifes" Sylvain is sitting in the couch, his chinese food container already empty at his side. Dorothea is beside him, her phone between her hands "And it's been a long time since we had a party here, anyway"

"Yes, since Felix birthday. But none of our birthdays are close" says Ingrid again, looking confused, as if it's impossible for her to imagine that someone would throw a party for something other than celebrating a birthday. 

Felix snorts and rolls his eyes. Dorothea looks at Sylvain from under her long lashes.

"He wants to lure the new neighbor in so he can ask for her number" says Felix, and Sylvain throws him a dirty look before shrugging and putting his hands behind his head.

"Luring is a horrible word, Felix" his friend doesn't even bats an eye at him "What I want, is to get to know her better. And what's the problem with that? She's new in the building, and we don't even know if she's new in the city too! It would be a nice gesture" he defends himself. Dorothea snickers besides him.

"Oh, Sylvain" he hears Ingrid say.

"What? Come on, Dorothea! Don't you think a party would be nice? You like parties!" the girl puts down her phone and raises one of her perfectly plucked eyebrows at him.

"I like parties" she answers "What I dont like, it's your womanizing techniques "

"Lure the pretty neighbor in, my womanizing techniques. Honestly guys, you're starting to hurt my feelings" Dorothea only smiles at him. Felix sighs from behind "It will be fun!"

"What will be fun?" Dimitri decides to drop by at that very moment. Ingrid and Dorothea had started to left the door unlocked for their friends a long time ago when they were at home because, for some reason, they were always stopping by.

It didn't matter that Dimitri's appartament was way bigger and much better for impromptu reunions, or that Mercedes and Dedue lived in an actual house with four bedrooms and a huge living room, their friends seemed to be drawn to their apartment. Dorothea liked to think that it was because of their personalities. Ingrid was pretty sure that it was because of the cheap chinese restaurant at the end of the street.

Sylvain perks up at the sight of his friend. Jumping to his feet, he walks to where Dimitri is still near the door and throws one arm around his shoulders.

"We're having a party!" he announces, cheerfully. 

"We are not having a party, you idiot" growls Felix. Sylvain decides to ignore him.

"A party? Whatever for?" Dimitri looks at Ingrid for information, but she just shrugs and opens her third box of chinese food.

"Okay, if we're going to have a party, we're going to do it right" Dorothea stands up as well, with her hands on her hips. "I don't want things getting too much out of control, because we just finished repainting the kitchen. So no fire this time"

"Okay, so that means Annette is out of the party planning committee" Sylvain nods and looks at Dimitri, who still looks confused "Can you ask Dedue to bring some stuff from the restaurant? We need quality food if we're going to have the best party ever"

"We're not having a party" says Felix again "Ingrid, say something"

"Can he bring that dish I saw him practicing the other day?" she says at Dimitri instead, and Felix looks at her like he cant believe her "You know, the one with the gravy and the mushrooms?"

"I still dont understand why we're having this party all of the sudden" Sylvain releases Dimitri and goes to look for his phone, because some calls have to be made. Dorothea seems to be doing the exact same "Are we celebrating something?"

"Yes. We're celebrating that our new neighbor is really pretty" Sylvain pauses in the middle of writing a text and looks apologetically at his friends "And welcoming her to the building, of course"

"Very well. Already invited two besties" Dorothea announces, as Felix stands up an crosses his arm, pinning them all with a murderous stare. 

"We are not having a party! And I dont want to be surrounded by people I dont know for a whole night"

"Oh relax, Felix" Sylvain is already writing another text "It'll be something small"

*

The next night, Felix finds himself in the middle of a not small at all party. There's people everywhere and the small kitchen of Dorothea and Ingrid is suddenly too crowded for him to stand without having to lean on someone, so he tries moving towards the couch, where he can see Sylvain talking with a girl he doesnt know. A person stomps on his foot and shoves him aside and he grunts and turns around, grabbing them by their shirt.

"Hey man, watch it!" the guy, who's obviously drunk and has some smooshed lipstick on his right cheek, seems to sober up at having Felix face so close to him.

"What was that?" asks Felix, and the guy looks around, probably searching for some friends, before smiling nervously and glancing at Felix fists holding him by his collar.

"Sorry, dude. That was totally my fault" he says, and as soon as Felix releases him, stumbles backwards and disappears.

Felix sighs, and turns around to see Sylvain approaching with a glass of something that looks like alcohol and a party hat on his head.

"Don't go scaring our guests, Felix. Everything is going too perfect for you to start creeping people out" he offers the glass to Felix, who drowns the contents in one go "Easy there"

"I'm leaving" he deadpans and starts to move for the door. Sylvain follows him and has to sidetrack a girl that tries to cling to his arm.

"Come on! You can't leave! Our guest of honor hasn't even arrived yet!"

"If she's any smart, she wont come" answers Felix. He doesn't have to say to the couple talking near the door to move, because they do it as soon as they see him, frowning and walking with his fists closed by his side.

The hallway seems strangely quite after closing the door of Ingrid and Dorothea's apartment. He grabs the keys and opens the door of his own home, Sylvain still whining behind him. 

Then, the door at the end of the hall opens. 

They both freeze and look at the same time. Byleth is there, looking at them curiously. She seems to be deciding if approaching or not, and seeing as neither of them moves, she finally walks until she's near and then glances at the door of the appartament where the party is taking place. She's wearing a simple black blouse and a pair of jeans that have probably seen better days.

"Hey" she says, and Sylvain grins and combs through his hair with a hand.

"Well, if it isn't the guest of honor! You're late to your own party, my lady" he says, bows and looks her up and down. Byleth gives him a tiny smile and then looks at Felix, hand on the door handle.

"You're leaving?" she asks, and Felix just sighs, pushes open the door and disappears inside.

"He's not very good with parties" apologizes Sylvain "At least this time we managed to make him stay for a whole hour"

"I'm not very good with parties either, I just came because you were quite insisting this morning" Byleth says, remembering Sylvain intercepting her in the hallway when she was on her way out for a morning run, just to announce out of nowhere that he and his friends were having a party to welcome her to the building. 

He laughs and gently pushes her for the door of the other appartament "And I actually have work in the morning. Really early"

"This will take only a bit of your time! And you'll have fun!" he says, opens the door, and the loud music and the heat of the party hits Byleth straight in the face.

She wrinkles her nose and lets Sylvain drags her to where what appears to be an improvised bar is in place, with a blonde girl and a brunette chatting beside it.

"This is Byleth you guys" he introduces her. The blonde girl has the exact same jeans as Byleth, and the other one looks like she's about to go to a fancy gala. She's the first one to smile and offer a hand to Byleth.

"So you're the famous Byleth! So very nice to meet you! I'm Dorothea, and this pretty girl here is my Ingrid" she looks at Ingrid then, smiling widely, and the blond girl blushes and also offers her hand.

"Nice to meet you. In the name of all the neighbors, welcome to the building" she says, and Byleth smiles and looks around "We wanted to have something more small for you but..."

"Well, I wasn't aware that my friends were going to bring more friends. I'll have a chat with them tomorrow at class about this. So very rude" Dorothea sighs and takes a sip of her drink, while Sylvain offers the same one to Byleth.

"Thank you for all this, but it wasn't really necessary. I told Sylvain that I'm used to moving to new places anyway, and that this isn't something new for me"

"You move a lot?" asks Dorothea, watching Sylvain muttering something about coming back right away behind Byleth and then disappearing. 

Byleth only nods and leaves her glass at the improvised bar, because she doesn't drinks when she has work the next morning. Instead, she falls into an easy conversation with both girls. They chat for a while until Dorothea spots something that makes her eyes grow wider still and takes Ingrid's hand, dragging her with her.

"It's Annette!" she frantically says "She's tipsy and she's about to turn on the stove. We should go stop her right this instance"

"We'll be right back, we promise" says Ingrid and they both rush to a small red haired girl that has her back turned to Byleth and it's surrounded by more people.

She can't hear what they say from a distance, and she doesn't know anyone in the party who she can strike a comfortable conversation again before retiring for the night, so she spots a nice balcony and decides to take some fresh air, because the appartament is really crowded, the music is too loud and she's really not used to all the fuss.

The night is cold and she has to hug herself to stop the shivers that run through her body at the chilly air. Nothing different could be expected from the cold city of Fhirdiad. 

_"It's cold as hell in Fhirdiad. In all Faerghus, really" her father had told her "Your ass will freeze if you dont bring more clothes" and then he had proceeded to stuff her already full suitcase with more clothes._

_Her mother had only winked at her from the door of the bedroom._

_"That means he's worried" she had explained._

The streets are empty at that time of the night, and the light of the lamps gives the pavement an incandescent glow that makes Byleth forget about the party behind her, until someone drops what it seems to be a huge coat over her shoulders, and she's suddenly brought back full force to reality. The man besides her is more startled than her when she looks at him and then at the black coat around her shoulders.

"I'm so sorry, that was so inappropriate of me!" he says, and flushes all the way to the tip of his ears "You just seemed really cold, and I thought you could use some warm. I should have said something before doing that, I'm so sorry"

"Aren't you cold?" Byleth asks, because he only has a black turtleneck sweater to protect him from the low temperature.

"I'm used to the cold of Fhirdiad" he says and she must look like she doesn't believe him, because he chuckles and shrugs "My family has lived here forever. I suppose I have it on my blood"

"Is that so" she hums, and wonders if the faerghian blood from his father side shouldn't be helping her endure the cold better.

"You're not from here, I take it" the man says again, and once more a blush covers his cheeks "I'm so sorry. Where are my manners? My name is Dimitri" he offers her a big warm hand that swallows her much more tiny one in a handshake that seems to last forever, until he takes a step back and looks at the street.

"I'm Byleth" she answers, and he smiles and says her name under his breath "I was actually just taking some fresh altho freezing air before leaving. I have work in the morning"

"I understand. My friends parties can get a bit out of control" Dimitri answers "Most of the times, they are too much for me"

"Are you friends with Sylvain?" she asks, and he nods and looks at her like he's scared go know her own answer of the question "I just met him a couple of days ago"

"I see" 

They settle for a comfortable silence, and Dimitri leans his arms on the balcony and dares to steal a glance at her. She's a beautiful girl with big blue eyes, and he finds himself thinking that she might be the most pretty girl he's seen in the party. 

_"You should date more" Sylvain words from past month echoes in his head "I'll even help you find a girl if you want"_

He clears his throat and she looks at him, big blue eyes curious, and he looses track of what he was about to say.

"If you're not from the city, I take it that you're here on a visit?"

"I just moved" 

_Oh._

"Well, in that case" he tries, carefully, looking at her intently to see her reaction "Maybe I could show you around some time? Like a tour!" he finishes and internally smacks himself because of the needy whine that escapes him.

"Yes, of course" she answers with a smile, and he feels relief wash over him just at the same time that her phone starts ringing. She makes a face and steps away from the balcony "That's my alarm. I decided to have one to know when to go to sleep, because if not I would stay awake all night."

Dimitri just nods and tries not to let his disappointment show. She glances at the coat around her shoulders and then at him, and he just shakes his head and smiles warmly.

"Keep it. You can give it back to me when we see each other again" he says, and she smiles and thanks him, and then just turns around and disappears inside.

A beat passes.

Then another one.

Dimitri realizes he didn't asked for her phone number.

*

"Let me see if I get this straight" says Sylvain the next morning, his hair still tousled from sleeping and a mug of coffee in one hand "You met a beautiful girl, made plans with her, and didn't asked for her number?" 

Dimitri nods sheepishly, and Sylvain just sights dramatically and flops in one of the chairs. Ingrid smacks him on the head on her way to the table.

"Leave him alone"

"Leave him alone, she says" Sylvain covers his forehead with one hand "He finally finds himself a date and this is what happens!"

"Shut up, you idiot. Your voice is annoying in the morning" says Felix from the couch. He has his back to them and is watching the morning news, as he always does.

"This is all your fault anyway, Felix" at that, he turns around and frowns at Sylvain, who keeps talking and pointing at him with a finger "If I hadn't gone back to our appartament to check on you, I could have been there with Dimitri to make sure he didn't screw things. And I could have got the number of our cute neighbor too!"

"I didn't asked you to follow me like some sort of lost puppy" Felix growls at him, and Sylvain just shrugs and takes another sip of his coffee.

"This party didn't go as planned" he sulks.

"Oh well, I don't know" Dorothea says, coming our from her and Ingrid's bedroom, ready for her morning acting classes. She passes by the table and kisses a still waking up Ingrid before grabbing her keys and her purse "I think it was fun. And you still can do more!"

"Really? What?" asks Sylvain, and Dorothea gives him a teasing smile before opening the door.

"Why cleaning, of course. I want to see everything shining when I come back"

The door closes behind her, and Sylvain drops his head on the table and complains for the rest of the day.


End file.
